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Lithium (medication)

From Wikipedia
lithium
class of chemical entities with similar applications or functions
Subclass ofMedication, essential medicine, antimanic agents, mood stabilizer, lithium Edit
World Health Organisation international non-proprietary namelithium, Lithium carbonate Edit
Medical condition treatedbipolar disorder, neurotic disorder, conduct disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder Edit
Legal status (medicine)boxed warning Edit
Pregnancy categoryAustralian pregnancy category D, US pregnancy category D Edit

Certain lithium compounds, dem sanso know as lithium salts, be used as psychiatric medication,[1] primarily for bipolar disorder den for major depressive disorder.[1][2] Dem dey take lithium orally (by mouth).[1]

Common side effects dey include increased urination, shakiness of de hands, den increased thirst.[1] Serious side effects dey include hypothyroidism, diabetes insipidus, den lithium toxicity.[1] Blood level monitoring be recommended to decrease de risk of potential toxicity.[1] If levels cam be too high, diarrhea, vomiting, poor coordination, sleepiness, den ringing insyd de ears fi occur.[1]

Lithium be teratogenic wey fi cause birth defects at high doses, especially during de first trimester of pregnancy. De use of lithium while breastfeeding be controversial; however, chaw international health authorities advise against am, den de long-term outcomes of perinatal lithium exposure no be studied.[3] De American Academy of Pediatrics dey list lithium as contraindicated for pregnancy den lactation.[4] De United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) dey categorize lithium as having positive evidence of risk for pregnancy den possible hazardous risk for lactation.[4][5]

Lithium salts be classified as mood stabilizers.[1] Lithium ein mechanism of action no be known.[1]

Insyd de nineteenth century, lithium be used insyd people wey get gout, epilepsy, den cancer.[6] Ein use insyd de treatment of mental disorders begin plus Carl Lange insyd Denmark[7] den William Alexander Hammond insyd New York City,[8] wey use lithium to treat mania from de 1870s dey go, based on now-discredited theories wey dey involve ein effect on uric acid. Use of lithium for mental disorders be re-established (on a different theoretical basis) insyd 1948 by John Cade insyd Australia.[6]

Lithium carbonate dey on de World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines,[9] wey e be available as a generic medication.[1] Insyd 2023, e be de 187th most commonly prescribed medication insyd de United States, plus more dan 2 million prescriptions.[10][11] E dey appear to be underused insyd older people,[12] den insyd certain countries, for reasons wey dey include patients dema negative beliefs about lithium.[13]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Lithium Salts". The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. 22 May 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  2. ↑ Chokhawala KP, Lee S, Saadabadi A (2025). "Lithium". StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. PMID 30085604. Retrieved 2026-01-10.
  3. ↑ Poels EM, Bijma HH, Galbally M, Bergink V (December 2018). "Lithium during pregnancy and after delivery: a review". International Journal of Bipolar Disorders. 6 (1) 26. doi:10.1186/s40345-018-0135-7. PMC 6274637. PMID 30506447.
  4. 1 2 Armstrong C (15 September 2008). "ACOG Guidelines on Psychiatric Medication Use During Pregnancy and Lactation". American Family Physician. 78 (6): 772. ISSN 0002-838X. Archived from the original on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  5. ↑ "Lithium Carbonate Medication Guide" (PDF). U.S. FDA. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  6. 1 2 Sneader W (2005). Drug discovery: a history (Rev. and updated ed.). Chichester: Wiley. p. 63. ISBN 978-0-471-89979-2. Archived from the original on 8 September 2017.
  7. ↑ Lenox RH, Watson DG (February 1994). "Lithium and the brain: a psychopharmacological strategy to a molecular basis for manic depressive illness". Clinical Chemistry. 40 (2): 309–314. doi:10.1093/clinchem/40.2.309. PMID 8313612.
  8. ↑ Mitchell PB, Hadzi-Pavlovic D (2000). "Lithium treatment for bipolar disorder" (PDF). Bulletin of the World Health Organization. 78 (4): 515–517. PMC 2560742. PMID 10885179. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 April 2012.
  9. ↑ World Health Organization (2023). The selection and use of essential medicines 2023: web annex A: World Health Organization model list of essential medicines: 23rd list (2023). Geneva: World Health Organization. hdl:10665/371090. WHO/MHP/HPS/EML/2023.02.
  10. ↑ "The Top 300 of 2023". clincalc.com. Archived from the original on 2025-08-12. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
  11. ↑ "Lithium - Drug Usage Statistics, ClinCalc DrugStats Database". clincalc.com. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
  12. ↑ Almeida OP, Etherton-Beer C, Kelty E, Sanfilippo F, Preen DB, Page A (27 March 2023). "Lithium dispensed for adults aged ≥ 50 years between 2012 and 2021: Analyses of a 10% sample of the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme". The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. 31 (9): 716–725. doi:10.1016/j.jagp.2023.03.012. PMID 37080815. S2CID 257824414.
  13. ↑ "Bipolar disorder: how lithium as a treatment fell out of favour". The Guardian. 9 November 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
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